Collapsible container



March 5, 1963 w. B. SUTHERLAN 3,

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed Oct. 17. 1960 I figi "EFL x "him INVENTOR.

Ill" ML 1. mMfiJ'u THEHLA/V BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,080,083 CQLLAPSHBLE CGNTAINER William B. utherlan, 47th and S. Adams St., Tacoma, Wash. Filed 0st. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 63,062 1 (Zlaim. (Cl. 217-12) This invention relates to a collapsible container or box and more particularly to such a structure which, after being used as a container and emptied, can have its side walls removed from their upright position, laid flat on the bottom and the whole unit locked together in such compact position for shipping or storage.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide an improved container of the character described. In particular such a box has already found commercial acceptance for packing and shipping apples, and other uses will be apparent to various readers varying with their fields of interest. In addition to the saving of space in transporting or stacking the empty boxes, the present construction is particularly advantageous in permitting a more thorough and easy cleaning and disinfecting of the empty box when disassembled since each side wall, for example, is entirely separable.

Still another purpose or the invention is to provide a knock-down box construction wherein, upon assembly, separable upright locking members serve simultaneously to strengthen the lateral walls and impart further rigidity to the assembly, thus permitting construction of the container wa s of relatively light weight material, or alternatively allow greater loads to be carried with conventional strength walls.

Yet another object resides in the provision of such a knockdown packing crate or box which can be easily and quickly assembled and disassembled by unskilled labor without tools, or at most by using only a simple lever such as a screw driver.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, the novelty consisting in the features of construction, combination of parts, the unique relations of the members and the relative proportioning, disposition, and operation thereof, all as more completely outlined herein and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

in the drawings, which form part of the present specification: v

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional View, partly in elevation, of my collapsible packing box shown somewhat schematically, in compact form with the four side walls lying on the bottom and the upper and lower frames held together by removable cleats;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the assembled box with a portion broken away to show the inner construction;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken through a side of the assembled box at right angles to FIG. 2 along the line 3--3;

FIG. 4 is a detail perspective showing the interlocking construction of the side walls;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled box as seen from above, with portions broken away to show inner CODSillCtlOl'l; and

FIG. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional view of a corner of a modified form of corner joint.

Fundamentally my construction is based on a pair of rectangular frames 19, 12 corresponding to the perimeter of the box and adapted to be disposed horizontally and spaced apart vertically so as to form the upper and lower edges thereof, each frame being made of rigid material substantially L-shaped in cross section, such as angle iron and each side bent lengthwise approximately at right angles to produce corresponding adjacent vertical sections 14 and 15 and horizontal strips 16, 17 or flanges. The upper frame 10 is completely separable from the other parts, while the lower frame 12 has permanently lodged therein (as by a press fit, glue, or even nails) a horizontal floor panel 18, conveniently (but not necessarily) made or" a single sheet of plywood (e.g. plywood) and carrying along its lower face, a downwardly projecting pair of longitudinal skid rails 25 22 disposed generally parallel to each other and more-'or-less adjacent opposing edges of the box or frame.

Two opposing vertical strips 14 of each frame are each formed with a horizontal slot 24, 25 located approximately midway along the length thereof, the corresponding slots of the upper and lower frames being vertically alignable so as to conjointly receive a metal tie bar 2s when the two frames are spaced vertically apart (FIGS. 3 and 5). Each tie bar is formed as a longitudinal, generally fiat strip 28 having each end bent outward more-orless at right angles to form terminal engaging jaws 3t 32 receivable through the corresponding frame slots.

Four side walls 3 36, 33, all (which may be of identical size and hence interchangeable if the frames lit, 12 are square) are each formed in interlocking dove-tailed, vertical edges 42, 44 (FIG. 4) so that they may be stood upright, thus coupled together along their edges and cannot subsequently shift inwardly because supported by each other. By first placing their lower edges within the bottom frame 12 and then pressing down the top frame It) around their upper edges, the top rail 16 abutting against or overlying the upper edge of each side wall, the four walls are securely held in position, forming (together with the floor 13) a box or container. Then each tie bar 26, which may have had its lower engaging lip 32 already inserted through the corresponding lower frame slot 25 before the side walls are in place, has its medial strip 23 pressed back tightly against the adjacent outer face of the side wall and its upper lip 36? inserted outward through the upper frame slot 24 (with the aid of a tool such as a screwdriver when the structures fit very tightly together). The opposing pair of tie bars, thus mounted, serve to lock together the top and bottom frames 19, 12 (together with their embraced side and bottom walls) while at the same time lending lateral reinforcement to the unit.

As shown best in PEG. 3, the engagement of the rear faces of tie bars 26, 28 against wall members 34, 38 securely retains the jaws 3t 32 in their interlocked engagement with frames 11? and i2, effectively restraining the jaws 3d, 32 from becoming dislodged from slots 24, 25. At the same time the tie bars securely tie the frames ill, 12 together, resisting any tendency for them to spread apart and thus retaining the edges of side walls 34, 36, 38, ill well secured within the embrace of flanges id, 15; and the side walls function to maintain the separation of the frames in spaced parallel planes. in addition they do not add appreciably to the weight of the assembly and thus furnish the support which might otherwise be obtained only by a thicker wall or other reinforcement. The top and bottom frames, in turn, impart unusual rigidity to the unit.

For a quick knock-down or disassembly of the unit, the only step requiring even a short pause is the dislodging of the upper engaging lip 3d of one tie bar from its frame slot 24. This can best be effected by inserting the blade of a large screwdriver between the respective vertical flange 14 and the surface of the adjacent side wall 34 or 33, and, by a prying action springing the flange 14 outwardly sufficiently to clear the edge of lip 36, then moving the frame bar away from the bottom 18 suihciently for the end of the tie bar 13 to clear the frame. Then this side of the top frame can be raised and pushed transversely to disengage the opposite tie bar lip, the side walls then knocked outward so as to separate them. They can then be laid flat on top of the floor 18 as seen in FIG. 1 and the upper frame 10 placed on top. A pair of U- shaped clips 46, 48 can then be inserted into the vacant tie bar slots 24, 25 of each frame to secure the two frames together in this compacted position for shipping or storage. vided a. collapsible container having not only the advantage of compact knock-down storage in small space when empty, but also possessing unusual reinforced walls when assembled. In addition, both assembly and disassembly can be effected quickly and easily by unskil ed labor without appreciable training'ror instruction.

In the assembled box, the wall members 34, 36, 38, 49 are supported against collapsing inwardly, by the abutting engagement of their respective ends against one another at the corners of the box. This may be provided for by beveled ends which mutually support one another as shown in FIG. 6, although in the preferred form of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the ends of the wall members are notched to provide interlocking tenons 42, 44 which not only provide the abutting support to resist inward collapsing but also interlock the adjoining side members vertically so as to resist any vertical displacement of one relative to the other, assisting the top and bottom frames 10 and 12. in resisting vertical displacernent. At the same time, the embracing reception of the upper and lower margins of the sidemembers 34, 36, 38, 40 by frames 10 and 12 securely hold the side members against outward separation'from assembly.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have presently conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claim so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices.

The invention having been herein described, what .I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A collapsible box comprising: a separable pair of upper and lower metal frames of conforming rectangular platform each comprising four bars of angle section having respective horizontal flanges disposed in a common horizontal plane and vertical flanges projecting toward one another in pairs in respective vertical planes at the four sides of the box, the vertical flanges at opposite sides of the box having respective horizontal slots disposed in vertically opposed pairs at the centers of said opposite sides; a rectangular floor panel shaped to fit loosely Accordingly it should be apparent that I have pro-' within the vertical flanges of the lower frame and resting on the horizontal flanges thereof; four rectangular side panels received between the upper frame and said floor panel with their outer faces closely adjacent and parallel to the inner faces of the respective vertical flanges and confined therewithin their lower margins resting on said floor panel adjacent the side margins thereof their upper margins confined beneath the upper horizontal flanges, and their ends provided with-respective tenons vertically spaced to define between themselves, notches which receive the tenons of the adjoining end of an adjacent side panel, whereby said side panels brace one another against inward movement While providing support for saidupper frame; and a pair of strap-metal tie-links each having a length corresponding to the height from a lower slot to the upper slot of a pair when said upper frame is supported-onsaid side panels, and eachhaving a back face bearing flatly against the outer faceof a respective side panel, having its respective end portions inserted between the said respective outer face and the respective overlapping vertical flanges, and having respective tongues at its upper and lower ends disposed transversely of its longitudinal axis and projecting outwardly through re:

spective slots in the respective upper and lower vertical flanges at the respective opposite sides of the box, each a tie link extending vertically between the upper and lower frames at said opposite sides of the box, tying said frames together, and locked to the respective frames by outward pressure of a respective side panel maintaining said tongues hooked into their respective slots; said tongues having a length only slightly greater than the thickiress of the respective vertical flanges in which they are hooked; and said side panels and the adjacent vertical flangesbeing relatively yieldable sufficiently to be pried apart so as to permit insertion of the tongues through .gaps thus provided between them, in order to hook-the tongues into said slots during assembly of the box and to release the tongues from the slots during disassembly of the box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 759,961 Beems May 17, 1904 1,277,515 Wild Sept. 3, 1918 1,857,350 Brock May 10, 1932 1,895,428 Edgin Jan. 24, 1933 2,961,113 Kienlen Nov. 22, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 519,309 Great Britain Mar. 21, 1940 164,899 Austria Dec. 27, 1949 

